Toy washing machine



June 1965 M. l. GLASS ETAL TOY WASHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 13, 1962 450W, MM, 6

June 8, 1965 GLASS ETAL 3,187,459

TOY WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 13, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g M im ga United States Patent "ice 3,187,459 TOY WASHING MAQI-IINE Marvin I. Glass, Dalia E. Verhickas, and Gordon A. Barlow, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Marvin Glass 8; Associates, Chicago, 111., a partnership Filed Dec. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 244,397 3 Claims. (Cl. 46-14) The present invention relates generally to a toy and, more particularly, to a toy washing machine and to components thereof,

Various types of toys modeled after appliances and tools have long been popular for children in that they are both educational and amusing to a child while familiarizing the child with the adult environment about him. Such toy appliances include washing machines, some of which are capable of actually washing a load of articles, such as doll clothes, and thus may cause a mess of spilled water, while others have no facility for receiving a load of articles, and still others give some illusion of washing a load of articles but lack adequate realism.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide .a new and amusing toy washing machine. Another object is the provision of a new and amusing toy washing machine which removably receivesa load of articles and simulates washing the load while maintaining it in dry condition. Still another object is the provision of a new and amusing toy washing machine having a drum receiving a load of articles and giving the appearance of wash water gradually rising in the drum while retaining the load in dry condition. A further object is provision of a new and amusing toy washing machine having a drum removably receiving a load of articles and simulating wash water sudsing in the drum while retainfurther object is provision of a new and amusing toy washing machine having a novel drive mechanism and, more particularly, a drive mechanism automatically operating the machine through a plurality of cycles simulating auto- 'matic washer cycles. These and other objects of the invention are more particularly set forth in the following detailed description and in the accompanying drawings of which: 7

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a preferred embodh ment of the invention in the form of a toy automatic washer;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevational view with 7 parts broken away for clearer illustration;

FIGURE 3 isan enlarged, sectional view taken generally along the line 33 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional View of a portion of a door shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is' an enlarged, fragmentary rear view of the toy washer with parts removed for clearer illustration of a portion of a control assembly;

'FIGURE 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary elevational view of a portion of adrive mechanism in slow speed, wash cycle operating position;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6, but showing the drive mechanism in high speed, spin drying cycle operating position;'and t 7 FIGURE 8 is-anenlarged, fragmentary top view of a door'latch, with parts broken away for clearer illustration.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention is, in brief, directed to a toy washing machine which receives aload of articles such as doll clothes, and simulates wash water gradually rising and sudsing about the load, while maintaining the load in dry condition and avoiding the possi- 3,187,459 Patented June 8, 1965 bility of spilling water, and providing a high degree of realism.

Basically, the toy washing machine includes a cabinet 14) and a control panel 12 surmounted adjacent a rear portion of the cabinet. A-hinged door 14 is normally latched closed and is swingable to an open position tor inserting and removing a load of articles, such as-dol'l clothes, from a drum 16 mounted within the cabinet 10 for movement simulating normal movement of an automatic washer drum. A drive mechanism 18 is provided for driving the drum 16 through a plurality of cycles simulating normal cycles of an automatic washer and is controlled by a control assembly 20. Means includ ing a container assembly 22 in the door 14 is provided for simulating a gradual rise and sudsing of wash water in the drum during a .wash cycle, followed by a Spin drydrying cycle and subsequent draining of the water from the drum when the machine is stopped, all while retaining the load within the drum in dry condition.

More particularly, and with initial reference to FIG- URE 1, the toy washing machine has an outward appearance modeled along the lines of a typical automatic washer with a box-like cabinet 10 supported on a inset base 26. A front wall 28 of the cabinet is preferably inclined slightly rearwardly toward a top 29 and has an opening 30 normally closed by the door 14 secured to front wall 28 in any suitable manner as by hinges 32 for swinging movement to an open position. The opening .30 and the door 14 are preferably circular. A latch mechanism 34 releasably retains the door 14 in closed position and has an actuator 36 operable for releasing the door for swinging movement to open position.

As may best be seen in FIGURE 8, the latch mechanism 34 includes a resilient arm 38 preferably integral with a generally cylindrical drum housing4ll which is rigidly secured to the cabinet front wall 23, and having an open end concentric with the front wall opening 30. A keeper 42 on a free end of the arm '38 adjacent the cabinet front wall is beveled to ride over a beveled detent 44 on an edge of the door 14 to latch the door closed. The latch actuator 36 is rigidly secured on the free end of arm 38 for flexing the arm to free keeper 42 from detent 44 when opening the door.

A load of articles 48, for example doll clothes, may be tion 56 in the centerof the drum housing 40 so that the drum rotates concentrically of the housing. The'shaft 52 is retained in the bearing portion 56 by a pinion 58 fixedly secured to an outer end of the shaft for operating the control assembly 20, as will be fully described hereafter. As the drum rotates, ribs 60 extending inwardly from the drum wall tumble the load within the drum.

The wash water simulating means 22, in non-wetting association with the interior of the drum 16 and the load therein, simulates a gradually rising and sudsing of' wash water in the drum 16, and herein includes a container assembly 64 rotatably mounted in a frame 65 of the door 14 for rotation with the drum 16. V More particularly, the Container assembly 64 includes a transparent container 66 similar in outward appearance to a typical transparent glass in an automatic washer door so that the load and washing action within the washer drum.may be readily observed. The container 66 includes an outer shallow dish sha'ped'transparent member 68 arid spaced slig litly in- 23 wardly therefrom a similar inner transparent shallow dish shaped member 70 connected by an annular peripheral wall 72 to define a narrow dish shaped chamber 73.

A reservoir 74 normally contains a wash water simulating liquid 76. With particular reference to FIGURES 1, 2 and 4 of the illustrated embodiment, the reservoir 74 is an annular segment and extends approximately 120 about the peripheral wall 72, being in lowermost position when stopped. It should be noted that the outer transparent member 68 (FIGURE 4) is integral with an annular outer wall defining part of the reservoir 74, and the inner transparent member 74) is integral with an inner wall defining part of the reservoir, with these walls suitably secured to each other by an annular outer wall defining an outer periphery of the reservoir. Opposite ends of the reservoir are closed by end Walls 77. Means is provided mounting the container assembly 64 for rotation in door frame 65 and herein bearings, such as ball bearings 78 are received in circular race 80 in the front wall and are seated on a front inner surface of the door frame 65, and a second set of ball bearings 84 are received in an annular race 86 in the outer peripheral wall and ride on the inner surface of a cylindrical outer peripheral portion of door frame 65. An inwardly extending annular flange 88 on the rear edge of the door frame 65 cooperates with an outwardly extending angular flange 90 on the rear Wall in defining the bearing race 86 and for retaining the container assembly 66 in the door frame.

Thus, the container assembly 64 is rotatably mounted in the door frame 65 and is releasably connected for rotation with drum 16 by means of a rearwardly extending lug 92 on the rear Wall of the reservoir 74 which freely abuts a forwardly extending lug 94 on the front end of drum 16.

The wash water simulating liquid 76 is normally retained in the reservoir 74 when the container assembly is at rest. Responsive to rotation of the container assembly 64 at a relatively slow speed during a wash cycle of about 1% minutes and at about r.p.m., the liquid 76 in the reservoir 74 is carried upwardly in the reservoir, and transfer means in the form of the reservoir and openings 100 in the peripheral wall 72 is provided for the flow of the liquid into the container 73. Preferably, three such openings 100 are provided, two adjacent the opposite end walls 77 of the reservoir, and one equally spaced therebetween. The liquid 76 passes through the openings when they are in elevated position, and into the chamber 73 between the transparent members 68 and 70 giving the appearance of wash water gradually rising in drum 16 as viewed through the transparent portion of door 14. At the same time the load of articles 48 within the interior of the drum 16 is being tumbled about by ribs 60, thus giving the illusion of wash water gradually rising over the load as in a typical automatic washer.

Responsive to more rapid rotation of the container assembly 64 during a spin drying cycle of about /2 minute at about 60 r.p.m., the liquid 76 in the chamber 73 between the transparent members 68 and 70 is swirled outwardly against the peripheral wall 72 as in a spin drying cycle of an automatic washer. As the liquid is swirled against the peripheral wall, at least part of the water passes back through the openings and into the reservoir. On stopping rotation of the container assembly 64, any liquid 76 in the chamber 73 drains through the openings 100 and back into the reservoir.

With reference to FIGURE 2, brake means is provided for smoothing out rotation and preventing freewheeling of the drum 16, and herein this means is in the form of a spring arm 101 extending inwardly from the drum housing 40 and urged against the outer cylindrical periphery of the drum 16 to provide a drag on the drum.

Thus, the liquid 76 is confined in non-wetting association with the interior of the drum 16'and the load therein, thereby avoiding any possible spillage of the liquid as a child plays with the toy washing machine.

In order to simulate sudsing of the liquid 76 asit flows into the transparent container 66, a liquid such as water may contain a suitable sudsing agent such as a weak soap solution producing suds bubbles which are easily dissipated. Thus, when the toy washer moves from its wash cycle to its spin drying cycle, the additional speed and agitation of the liquid within the transparent container 66 breaks the suds bubbles permitting the liquid to flow back into the reservoir 74 upon stopping operation of the drum 16 and the container 66.

Drive means for rotating the drum 16 and the container assembly 64 at slow and high speeds simulating wash and spin drying cycles of an automatic washer is provided and includes a system of rotors in the form of gear trains Within a casing 104 mounted on a bottom wall 106 of the cabinet 10, as may be seen in FIGURES 2, 3, 6 and 7. In the illustrated embodiment, a reversable electric motor 108 is mounted on the cabinet bottom wall 106 and has a drive shaft 110 on which is fixedly mounted a driving pinion 112 of a gear train for the driving drum 16. More particularly, the pinion 112 is drivingly meshed with an idler gear 114 on a shaft 116 which is rotatably received in a slot 118 in a mounting plate 120 of the casing 104, thus mounting the idler gear 114 for movement transversely of its axis of rotation defined by the shaft 116. As shown in FIGURE 6, during slow speed wash cycle operation, the motor shaft pinion 112 is driven counterclockwise, thus moving the idler gear 114 transversely of its axis of rotation and along the slot 118, to a position at the left of the slot, as viewed in FIGURE 6, in which position the idler gear 114 is meshed in driving engagement with an idler pinion 122 journaled on the mounting member 120 and having a larger gear 126 meshed in driving engagement with an outwardly extending angular ring gear 128 on the front end of the drum 16.

High speed spin drying cycle operation of the drum 16 and container assembly 64 occurs responsive to reversing the direction of rotation of the motor 108. In the illustrated embodiment, upon reversing the motor 108 the driving pinion 112 is rotated clockwise, as seen in FIG- URE 7, thus moving the idler gear 114 transversely of the axis of its shaft 116 and to an opposite end of the slot 118. In this position the idler gear 114 is out of engagement with the idler pinion 122 and moves into meshed driving engagement with a pinion 130 of a gear cluster rotatably mounted on the mounting member 120 and having a large gear 132 in meshed driving with the ring gear 128 on drum 16. The gears 126 and 132 rotatably support the front end of the drum 16. I

Actuating means for starting operation of the toy washing machine and controlling the drive means to operate the toy through a plurality of cycles simulating automatic washer cycles, and then stopping operation of the toy Washing machine with the reservoir 74 in lowermost position is provided in the preferred embodiment in the form of the control mechanism 20 contained within the control panel 12. More particularly, as illustrated in FIG- URE 5 wherein a rear panel 133 is removed for clearer illustration, a knob 134 is rotatably mounted on a front wall 136 of the control panel by means of a shaft 137 fixedly secured to the knob. The knob may be suitably associated with a dial 138 carrying appropriate indicia simulating that of a typical automatic washer. A finger 142 within the control panel is fixedly mounted on the shaft 137, and upon operating knob 134 to rotate the finger counter-clockwie to the position seen in FIGURE 5, the finger depresses an upstanding end 144 of a lever 146 ournaled at an opposite end by means of a shaft 147 mounted on the control panel. This lever is urged upwardly, into engagement with a cam 149, by means of a tension spring 150 anchored at one end to an intermediate portion of the lever and at an opposite end to the control panel. The cam 149 makes one revolution during a complete operating cycle, and is fixedly mounted on a shaft 151 journaled in and extending through the front wall of the control panel and carrying an indicator 152 at its outer end. This indicator cooperates with a suitable dial 153 on the control panel for indicating the operating condition of the toy washer, as in an automatic washer.

A switch mechanism 154 is mounted within the control panel 12 and includes a pair of integral, spaced apart spring finger contacts 155 and 156 anchored on an insulating member 158 secured to the control panel. These contacts cooperate with a pair of movable resilient spring arm contacts 160 and 162 fixedly mounted on insulating blocks 164 firmly secured to the end of the lever 146 adjacent its shaft 147, and connected in circuit with opposite terminals of the motor 108. An intermediate fixed contact 166 is mounted on and insulated from the contact panel 12 in a location between the spring arm contacts 160 and 162. As illustrated in FIGURE 5, the lever 146 has been pivoted about its shaft 147 to a wash cycle position in which a follower 167 engages a high portion 168 of the cam 149, so'that the spring arm contact 160 is in en gagement with the fixed finger contact 155, and the fixed intermediate contact 166 is in engagement with the spring arm contact 162, thus closing a circuit between a suitable source of electrical power, such as a battery 170 having one terminal connected with fixed intermediate contact 166 and a second terminal connected with fixed leaf contacts 155 and 156, for driving the motor in a first direction. In this position, the drum 16 and the container assembly 64 is driven through a wash cycle by the drive mechanism which is in the position shown in FIGURE 6.

With reference to FIGURES 2 and 3, the control assembly includes the pinion 58 fixedly mounted on the drum shaft 51 and this pinion is drivingly meshed with a pinion 172 fixedly mounted on the end of a flexible rotating cable 174 carried within a tubular casing 176 which is firmly anchored at a lower end in a flange 176 extending outwardly from the drum housing 58 and at an upper end in flanges 180 on control panel 12. Between the flanges 180 is a worm 182 fixedly secured to the upper end of cable 174 and drivingly meshed with a gear 184 on the shaft 151. The gear 184 is fixedly secured to the cam 149 for rotating the cam 149 in a counter-clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 5. As the cam 149 is driven in a counter-clockwise direction, and with its high portion 168 in engagement with the follower 167 on the lever 146, the drive mechanism is positioned for wash cycle operation. Continued rotation of the drum 16 drives the cable 174 to rotate the cam until the follower 167 moves off of the cam high portion 168 and on to a cam low portion 194, thus moving lever 146 clockwise so that the spring arm contact 166 is out of engagement with the fixed finger contact 155, and the fixed intermediate contact 166 is out of engagement with the spring arm contact 162 and moves into engagement with the spring arm contact 160 as the spring arm contact 162 engages the fixed finger contact 156. Thus the current flow to the motor 108 and the direction of rotation of the motor is reversed, moving the idler gear 114 to an opposite position, as shown in FIGURE 7, for spin drying operation of the toy washing machine, as previously described. The toy washing machine now remains in spin drying operation until the cam 149 rotates counter-clockwise sufiiciently so that the follower 167 moves up an inclined portion 196 of the cam and on to an immediate step 198 thus stopping operation of the motor and rotation of drum 16 and container assembly 64 by positioning the fixed intermediate contact 166 out of engagement with either of the spring arm contacts 160 or 162, thus breaking the electrical circuit to motor 108. Thus, the cam 149 7 stops in a predetermined position and because of a posioperating knob 134 is rotated to depress the finger 142 and move the lever 146 counter-clockwise thus moving switch assembly 154 from open position to the wash cycle position as shown in FIGURE 5, starting the motor 108 operating in a direction for engaging the gear train as shown in FIGURE 6 and rotating the drum 16 and the container assembly 64 at a slow wash cycle speed. Such rotation of the container assembly 64 causes the liquid 46 in the reservoir 74 to move upwardly and flow through the openings 100 in the peripheral wall and into chamber 73 so that the level of the liquid between transparent members 68 and 70 gradually rises to give the appearance of gradual filling of the drum 16 and sudsing within the drum while maintaining the interior of the drum and the load therein in dry condition. Rotation of the drum 16 drives the cable 174 to rotate the cam 149, causing the motor 108 to reverse direction. On reversing motor 108 the gear train is shifted to the position shown in FIGURE 7 for high speed spin drying rotation of the drum 16 and container assembly 64 in the same direction as during wash cycle operation. Further rotation of the cam stops the motor and drum.

Extreme realism closely simulating normal operation of a modern automatic washer is provided by the toy washing machine described herein. Both gradual filling of the toy washer drum 16 with a liquid simulating wash water, and sudsing of the liquid, is provided while maintaining the load in the drum in dry condition and avoiding any possible spillage of the liquid. The cabinet door 14 may be opened and closed for loading the drum, and a transparent portion of the door, defined by container 66, permits Viewing operation of the drum and tumbling of the load therein as the washer operates through a plurality of cycles simulating normal automatic washer cycles. The drum drive provides a dependable transmission for rotating the drum through the washer cycles.

While this invention has been described with reference to specific structure in a particular environment, various changes may be apparent to one skilled in the art and the invention is not to be limited to the specific structure and environment. Various of the features are set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy Washing machine comprising a cabinet having an opening in the front wall thereof, a drum rotatably mounted in said cabinet and having the open end thereof aligned with the front wall opening, a door mounted on said cabinet for swinging movement to and from a closed position across said front wall opening, said door comprising a frame hingedly connected at one side to said cabinet transfer means in said housing effective to cause the liquid. in said peripheral portion to gradually rise in said housing at the slower speed of rotation of said drum and housing and reach a liquid level viewable through the transparent housing, and said transfer means being effective to cause the liquid to return to said peripheral portion and thus disappear from view at a faster speed of rotation of said housing.

2. A toy washing machine comprising a cabinet having an opening in the front wall thereof, a drum rotatably mounted in said cabinet and having the open end thereof aligned with the frontwall opening, a door mounted on said cabinet for swinging movement to and from a closed position across said frontwall opening, said door comprising a frame vhingedly connected at one side to said cabinet front wall, a circular transparent housing mounted in said frame for rotation relative thereto and including a peripheral portion concealed within the frame, a liquid normally disposed within the concealed peripheral portion of said transparent housing, a passageway in one wall of said peripheral portion providing fluid communication between said peripheral portion and the exposed central portion of said transparent housing, drive means connected with said drum and operable to effect rotation of the drum at two dilferent speeds, means on said drum and on said transparent housing in position for engagement with each other when said door is closed and operative to cause rotation of said housing relative to said door frame in response to rotation of said drum, said passageway providing a liquid transfer means which is eifective to cause the liquid in said peripheral portion to flow into the central portion of said transparent housing and gradually rise in said housing at the slower speed of rotation of said housing and thereby reach a liquid level viewable through the transparent housing and said passageway being effective to cause the liquid to return to said peripheral portion and thus disappear at a faster speed of rotation cabinet front wall, a circular transparent housing mounted in said door frame for rotation relative thereto with the peripheral portion of said housing concealed within the frame, a liquid normally disposed within the concealed peripheral portion of said transparent housing, drive means connected with said drum and operable to effect rotation of the drum at different speeds, means on said drum and on said transparent housing in position for engagement when said door is closed and operative to cause rotation of said housing in response to rotation of said drum, liquid transfer means in said housing effective to cause the liquid in said peripheral portion to gradually rise in said housing at the slower speed rotation of said drum and housing and reach a liquid level viewable through the transparent housing, and said transfer means being effective to cause the liquid to return to said periph eral portion and thus disappear at a faster speed of rotation of said housing, and control means for said drive means including a manually operable member for starting the drive means and means for changing the speed of said drive means after a predetermined period of time of operation and for stopping said drive means after another predetermined period of time.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,615,280 10/52 Thelin 2728 X 3,071,888 1/63 Knott 2728 X RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TOY WASHING MACHINE COMPRISING A CABINET HAVING AN OPENING IN THE FRONT WALL THEREOF, A DRUM ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CABINET AND HAVING THE OPEN END THEREOF ALIGNED WITH THE FRONT WALL OPENING, A DOOR MOUNTED ON SAID CABINET FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT TO AND FROM A CLOSED POSITION ACROSS SAID FRONT WALL OPENING, SAID DOOR COMPRISING A FRAME HINGEDLY CONNECTED AT ONE SIDE TO SAID CABINET FRONT WALL, A CIRCULAR TRANSPARENT HOUSING MOUNTED IN SAID DOOR FRAME FOR ROTATION RELATIVE THERETO WITH THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID HOUSING CONCEALED WITH THE FRAME, A LIQUID NORMALLY DISPOSED WITHIN THE CONCEALED PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID TRANSPARENT HOUSING, DRIVE MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID DRUM AND OPERABLE TO EFFECT ROTATION OF THE DRUM AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS, MEANS ON SAID DRUM AND ON SAID TRANSPARENT HOUSING IN POSITION FOR ENGAGEMENT WHEN SAID DOOR IS CLOSED AND OPERATIVE TO CAUSE ROTATION OF SAID HOUSING IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF SAID DRUM, AND LIQUID TRANSFER MEANS IN SAID HOUSING EFFECTIVE TO CAUSE THE LIQUID IN SAID PERIPHERAL PORTION TO GRADUALLY RISE IN SAID HOUSING AT THE SLOWER SPEED TO ROTATION OF SAID DRUM AND HOUSING AND REACH A LIQUID LEVEL VIEWABLE THROUGH THE TRANSPARENT HOUSING, AND SAID TRANSFER MEANS BEING EFFECTIVE TO CAUSE THE LIQUID TO RETURN TO SAID PERIPHERAL PORTION AND THUS DISAPPEAR FROM VIEW AT A FASTER SPEED OF ROTATION OF SAID HOUSING. 